Airstrikes kill 25 in Gaza as Israel answers rockets

By COMPILED BY DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF WIRE REPORTS

Posted: July 9, 2014 at 4:52 a.m.

EYAD BABA
Credit: AP
An Israeli missile explodes on impact Tuesday in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military launched what could be a long-term offensive, hitting more than 150 sites and mobilizing troops for a possible ground invasion aimed at stopping rocket attacks against Israel.

Israel on Tuesday launched its largest offensive on the Gaza Strip in nearly two years, carrying out an aerial assault on scores of targets and killing 25 people in what officials called an open-ended operation aimed at ending weeks of heavy rocket fire.